Grain-car door.



T. OSWALD.

GRAIN CAR DOOR.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 1, 1909.

Patented Feb. 22, 1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

T. OSWALD.

GRAIN-GAR DOOR.

APPLIOATION FILED APR. 1, 1909.

950,007., Patented Feb. 22, 1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIII/IJIIII/IIIII Wbtmozo TONY OSWALD, OF CANOVA, SOUTH DAKOTA.

GBAIN-CAR DOOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 22, 1910.

Application filed April 1, 1909. Serial No. 487,204.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ToNY OSWALD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Canova, in the county of Miner and State of South Dakota, have invented a new and useful Grain-Car Door, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to doors for grain cars and its object is to provide a door of this character which, when not in use and when raised toward the ceiling of the car, can be collapsed so as to occupy the minimum amount of space, it therefore being possible to hold two opposed doors of a car in elevated position by means of separate supporting devices, said doors when thus supported being removed from each other and not lapping as heretofore.

A further object is to provide a door made up of movably connected sections which may be successively lowered into closed position.

A further object is to provide novel means for retaining the doors against lateral displacement while they are in closed position.

WVith these and other objects in view the invention consists in certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings the preferred form of the invention has been shown.

In said drawings :Figure 1 is a front elevation of a door embodying the present improvements, the adjoining portion of a car being shown in elevation. Fig. 2 is a section on line A-B Fig. 1, and showing by dotted lines the positions assumed by the doors when raised. Fig. 3 is a section on line OD of Fig. 1.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference E designates a car structure and e the door-opening therein, and secured to the inner face of each door-jamb is a metallic door-receiving cleat 1 having a longitudinal groove 2 therein perpendicular to the floor of the car and of sufficient width to receive the side flanges of the door sections as heretofore described. These retaining cleats extend throughout the height of the doorj ambs and the lower ends of the grooves 2 open into the end portions of a groove 3 formed longitudinally within a metallic sill strip 4 which extends between the lower ends of the door jambs. The roove within the sill strip is sufiiciently wide to receive the lower edge of the lower door section.

Secured to the upper ends of the doorjambs are longitudinally slotted supporting brackets 5 in which is slidably mounted a pivot rod 6. Pivotally connected to this rod is a U-shaped hanger 7 preferably formed of a heavy metallic rod, there being eyes at the ends of the hanger for receiving the pivot rod 6. This hanger is slidably engaged by ears 8 which are secured to the outer face of the lower door section 9, said section being thus slidable along the hanger 7. The middle portion of the hanger is offset as indicated at 10 and outstanding from the door section 9 close to the lower edge thereof is a bracket 11 which is designed, when said door section is shifted along the hanger, to pass through the offset portion of the hanger. Vhen the lower edge of the door section 9 is seated in the groove 3 the bracket 11 overhangs the sill strip 4 and is spaced a short distance therefrom so as to permit the insertion of a suitable prying tool between the sill strip and the bracket, Flanges 12 are formed along the side edges of the door section 9 and are designed to project into the grooves 2 when the lower end of said section is seated within the groove 3. A bracing strip 13 extends transversely upon the outer face of the section 9 and is designed to limit the movement of the section in one direction with relation to its hanger 7.

The intermediate section 14 of the door is provided with parallel hangers 15 having eyes 16 at the free ends through which the rod 6 loosely extends. This section is also provided with longitudinal flanges 17 along its side edges for projecting into the groove 2. This intermediate section is preferably about one half the height of the lower door section 9, and the upper door section 18 is preferably about one half the height of the intermediate door section. This upper door section has eyes 19 at its upper edge through which the rod 6 extends and the side flanges 20 are formed upon said section and designed to extend into the groove 2.

A series of hooksis arranged upon the ceiling of the car, one of the hooks, 21, being designed to engage the upper door section 18, while another hook, 22, is provided for supporting the intermediate door section 14. A third hook, 23, is used for engaging the lower door section 9 and holding it in raised position.

As heretofore pointed out, when the door is shut the lower edge of the section 9 rests within the groove 3 in the sill strip, while the side flanges of said door rest within the grooves 2. In filling the car with grain the lower door sections are first placed in posi tion across the door openings and. after the grain has been filled up to the top of the lower door sections the intermediate door sections are lowered so that their side flanges will rest within the grooves 2. The filling operation can then be continued until. the level of the grain reaches the upper edges of the intermediate door sections, after which the small upper door sections may be lowered into closed position. These upper sections are especially desirable for use where light grain is contained within the car.

lVhen the doors are not in use the pivot rod can be slid upwardly into engagement with hooks 5 arranged in the slots in brackets 5 and the door 18 can be engaged by hook 21 and door sections 1% can be engaged by hook The lower door section 9 can he slid longitudinally upon the hanger 7 until the lower end thereof is brought into alinement with the lower end of the hanger, after which said door section can be swung upwardly and placed'in engagement with the hook 23.

As heretofore pointed out, by providing a door having a slidably supported lower sec tion, the length of the door can be dimin ished when the said door is elevated out of use, and it is therefore possible for two opposed doors to be suspended up under the ceiling without lapping. One door will not therefore interfere with the other when it is desired to lower it.

It is of course to be understood that various changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit or sacrificing the advantages of the invention.

\Vhat is claimed is 1. The combination with a car structure having a door opening, of brackets secured to the structure at opposite sides of the opening, and having slots therein a rod mounted at its ends within the slots, a U-shaped hanger pivotally mounted upon the rod, said hanger having an intermediate outstanding portion, a door section slidably mounted on the hanger, a bracket upon the lower portion of the door section and movable through said outstanding portion of the hanger during the movement of the section in an upward direction upon the hanger, and a transversely extending bracing strip upon said section and cooperating with the intermediate portion of the hanger for limiting the downward movement oi the door section.

2. The combination with a car structure having a door opening, and longitudinally channeled cleats at the sides of the opening, of slotted brackets secured to the structure at opposite sides of the upper portion of the opening, each slot having a hook projecting thereinto, a rod adjustably mounted at its ends within the slots, a U-shaped hanger pivotally mounted upon the rod, said hanger having an intermediate outstanding portion, a door section slidably mounted on the hanger, a bracket upon the lower portion of the door section and movable through said outstanding portion of the hanger during the movement of the sect-ion in an upward direction upon the hanger, transversely eX- tending means upon said section and cooperating with the intermediate portion of the hanger for limiting the downward movement of the door section, additional door sections pivotally mounted upon the rod, all the said sections normally lapping, and flanges along the side edges of the respective door sections and normally seated within the channels in the cleats.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aflixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

TONY OSXVALD.

lVitnesses J. F. GROVE, H. H. SCHULTE. 

